A small set of tools handles 95% of fragging. A bone-saw or Dremel with a diamond cutting wheel for stony coral, a pair of wire cutters for branching coral, sharp scissors or a scalpel for soft coral, reef-safe cyanoacrylate gel (Bob Smith Industries or similar), and an assortment of frag plugs or rubble pieces for mounting. Add a coral dip (CoralRx, Bayer, Revive) to the kit for treating frags before they go in the display.
For Acropora and Montipora, cut just below a branching point with the diamond wheel. Aim for a frag about 1-2 inches long. Mount immediately with cyanoacrylate gel on a frag plug, base down, and place in low-to-moderate flow with moderate light. Healing time is 2-3 weeks - you will see the cut site encrust over and tissue grow across the wound when the frag has accepted the mount. Acropora is the most temperamental SPS; mount and walk away, do not move it.
Euphyllia (Torch, Hammer, Frogspawn) frag along the natural branch divisions. Use the bone-saw to cut at the base of a head, leaving most of the skeleton intact. Mount the frag immediately and place in moderate flow with moderate light. Acanthastrea and Lobophyllia frag along the visible polyp boundaries with a Dremel - aim to keep at least one healthy mouth per frag. Goniopora is the hardest LPS to frag; if you can avoid it, do.
Sinularia, Sarcophyton, Cladiella, and Lobophytum frag with sharp scissors or a scalpel - cut a small lobe or finger off the parent colony. Soft coral frags do not bond to plugs the way SPS does, so the standard mounting technique is to use a small cyanoacrylate dot to stick the cut surface to a piece of rubble, then secure the rubble with a rubber band or fishing line until the frag attaches naturally (3-7 days). Zoanthids frag by cutting the substrate the polyps are attached to with a Dremel - never cut directly through a polyp.
The first 48 hours after fragging are the highest-risk period. Cut surfaces are exposed to bacteria; the coral is energetically depleted. Drop the frag in low-flow, moderate-light location and resist the urge to move it. Watch for tissue recession around the cut - normal recession is less than 1 mm; deeper than 2 mm means the frag is failing and may need to be cut back further into healthy tissue. Polyp extension within 5-7 days is the strongest sign of survival.
Recommendations on this page cross-checked against the following authoritative references and our internal vendor + breeder database.
Answers to the questions experienced keepers ask after the basic care guide.
Drip acclimation over 60 to 90 minutes is the safest approach for Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics. Match temperature first (15 minute float), then drip 2 to 3 drops per second from the display sump until the bag volume has tripled. Test salinity (or freshwater hardness) at the end - if it is within 0.001 SG (or 2 dGH) of the display, transfer the specimen with a net rather than pouring shipping water in.
Aim for biological + mechanical + chemical staging. Canister or sump-driven filtration sized for 5x to 8x display turnover per hour, mechanical floss replaced weekly, and carbon or GAC swapped every 4 to 6 weeks. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics responds well to stable nitrate (under 20 ppm) more than to any specific filter brand - stability beats peak performance.
For saltwater specimens, yes - a properly-sized skimmer rated for 1.5x to 2x display volume keeps dissolved organics low and reduces nuisance-algae triggers. Freshwater specimens do not need skimmers; a well-stocked plant grow-out + canister with chemical media achieves the same end. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics kept without adequate organic export tends to show stress within 90 days.
Compatibility with planted tanks depends on the species behavior + water chemistry overlap. Plant-safe specimens leave foliage alone; some pick at soft-tissue plants like vallisneria or anubias. Check the species page profile + the planted-tank compatibility note before stocking Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics in a high-tech CO2-injected setup with valuable cultivars.
For freshwater specimens with no plant requirements, a basic LED at 30 to 50 PAR at substrate is sufficient and reduces algae. For saltwater + reef specimens, target 100 to 250 PAR depending on photo-tolerance, with a sunrise/sunset ramp + a 8 to 10 hour photoperiod. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics tolerates a wider lighting band than most keepers expect; consistency matters more than peak intensity.
Most aquarium species evolved in moderate flow with localized turbulence rather than uniform high flow. Aim for 20x to 40x display turnover for reef specimens, 4x to 6x for community freshwater. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics shows stress fins (clamped, frayed) when flow is mismatched - dial back if you see this within 14 days of introduction.
Sustained drift above +/- 2 F from target is the threshold most keepers miss. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics tolerates day-night swings of 1 to 2 F without issue but a 4 F shift over 2 hours triggers ich + bacterial bloom risk. Use a controller-driven heater (not the built-in dial) and a backup thermometer at the opposite end of the tank.
For freshwater fish: ich, columnaris, and fin rot are the top three; quarantine + UV sterilizer prevents the majority. For marine fish: ich (Cryptocaryon), velvet (Amyloodinium), and bacterial infections; tank-transfer method or copper QT during the 30-day acclimation cycle prevents nearly all outbreaks. For inverts + corals: tissue necrosis, parasitic isopods, and protozoan blooms.
Captive breeding success varies enormously by species - some breed readily in community tanks (livebearers, cherry shrimp, clownfish) while others have never been captive-bred (most reef fish + most marine inverts). Check the species-specific care guide for the breeding-method note + larval-rearing protocol. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics kept in pairs or small groups often spawns even without intent if conditions are right.
Avoid same-species rivals (especially male-male pairings for territorial species), known fin-nippers (tiger barbs, certain pufferfish), and anything that out-competes for food or out-grows the tank. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics also struggles with hyper-aggressive cichlids in freshwater and damselfish in saltwater - both will hold territory at the expense of every other tankmate.
Most ornamental specimens accept cleaner shrimp + cleaner gobies; cleaner wrasses (Labroides) often die in captivity and are not recommended. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics kept with cleaner pairs typically benefits from parasite control + stress reduction, but verify the cleaner does not get eaten by checking the species size + temperament chart.
Captive lifespan tracks closely to wild lifespan when water chemistry, diet, and tankmate stress are managed. Most aquarium fish live 5 to 12 years; long-lived species (large cichlids, pufferfish, some tangs) reach 15+ years. Coral fragging: tools, technique, and healing time by genus - Fast Aquatics kept in a stable, properly-sized system should live within 80% to 100% of the species lifespan ceiling - early death usually traces back to chronic-stress causes (parameters, tankmates, diet) rather than disease.